Norway arms police due to threats against Muslims

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Police in Norway have decided to arm on-duty officers following threats made against the Muslim community, local media reported Monday.

The decision by the director general of police applies to officers throughout the country and came into effect on Saturday, said a statement released over the weekend.

Threats were made against mosques in the Nordic country, police spokesman Roar Hansen was quoted as saying by local media.

The move comes ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations this week marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.​​​​​​​

Norwegian police do not generally carry arms, but due to the threats, the police director general "has decided to arm police on a national level from today,” the statement said.

In August 2019, 21-year-old Philip Manshaus opened fire on the Al Noor Islamic center in Baerum, a suburb of Oslo.

He wounded one person and was then restrained by Muslim worshippers.

Prior to the attack, he killed his adopted stepsister at their home and posted messages online praising the Christchurch mosque shooter, the Poway synagogue shooter and the El Paso shooter, who targeted Latinos.

Manshaus was sentenced to 21 years in prison in June 2020.

A total of 51 Muslims were killed and 40 were injured at Masjid al-Noor and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand during Friday prayers on March 15, 2019 in a terrorist attack committed by Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant.

Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, a neo-Nazi who on July 22, 2011 killed 77 people in a bombing and shooting rampage, is widely referred to as a fanatic who was driven by a hatred of Islam and Muslims.

In a 1,500-page document, Breivik devoted 700 pages to attacking the Muslim religion.